<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>On a Razor's Edge by shattere</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24790051">On a Razor's Edge</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/shattere/pseuds/shattere'>shattere</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Identity Reveal, Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, Angst, Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng Fluff, Drama, Drama &amp; Romance, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hentai, Hot Mess Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Hurt Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Identity Reveal, Love, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Identity Reveal, Past Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Romance, Shades of Grey, living on the edge</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 10:15:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,740</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24790051</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/shattere/pseuds/shattere</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Not everything is black and white. Occasionally, you need to live on the edge to discover the truth especially in the darkest of times.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir &amp; Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Kagami Tsurugi, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>On a Razor's Edge</strong>
  <br/>
  <strong>Chapter 1</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>She threw her red yo-yo across the rooftop, quickly pulling herself in a forward direction. The akuma attack was exhausting. It seemed like Hawk Moth was getting braver with each victim he chose to akumatize. This time Ladybug was lucky. Both her and Chat Noir were almost either serious hurt or killed. Honestly, she was lucky that both even survived at all.</p><p>Ladybug stopped upon the small balcony of her home and allowed the transformation to deactivate. Tikki sighed as she landed upon the pillow as both her and Marinette disappeared back into the girl’s bedroom. “What a long fight,” yawned the small black and red kwami.  </p><p>“Ya, it seems like each victim is stronger than the last,” responded Marinette as she took a seat upon her small couch. She groaned deeply as she stared at her desk. Homework that was due in the morning laid scattered across her desk. Homework that she had no intention of finishing.</p><p>Pushing from her seat, the young girl of seventeen stared hard at the essay she was trying so hard to finish. Being a junior in high school was exhausting followed by the akumatize victims didn’t help either. This attack didn’t finish till well past midnight. A sigh escaped the young woman’s lips. She knew if she didn’t finish it, her grade was going to suffer and after so many times missing class, she couldn’t afford to screw up on this assignment. Dragging her feet to her desk, she took a seat and began once more on the assignment she was trying so hard to finish.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>********************</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“Marinette! Marinette, wake up!” Sitting straight up and almost knocking herself to the ground, Marinette let out a panicked cry as she gained her wits. Tikki buzzed in her face. “Marinette! You’re going to be late again.”</p><p>Slowly, her mind started to clear out as she glanced around the room. She doesn’t remember falling asleep at her desk. She doesn’t even remember how much of the essay she got finished. Glancing quickly at her alarm, another panic cry echoed through the room as the girl quickly changed clothing, stuffed all her school things into her bag, and ran out of the door; her kwami disappearing into the small handbag at her hip.</p><p>“Running behind again?” asked Alya as Marinette quickly took a seat beside her best friend.</p><p>Marinette groaned before releasing a wide yawn. “I stayed up too late trying to finish this stupid essay.”</p><p>“Well, you made it before the bell with time to spare, so that is a bonus,” chuckled her friend as Marinette smiled before pulling her bag around and retrieving her school notebook.</p><p>Marinette watched as her classmates filtered into class. One student caught her attention allowing a small smile to grace her face. While some memories are hard for her to suppress, her feelings were always the same even as she eventually allowed others to fill her complicated heart. She was finally getting better at speaking and not stuttering around Adrien Agreste when she was alone with the young man.</p><p>“Morning,” hollered Adrien as he took a seat next to his best friend Nino. The girls responded the same before waving towards the two men.</p><p>While their friendship had not changed, Marinette’s feelings still stayed the same. She thought over time, Adrien would forget about the girl he was in love with and finally notice her. During the sophomore year, Marinette took a chance to write a note for Adrien explaining her feelings. She watched in the distance as he read the note. He quickly glanced around trying to locate said girl. Unfortunately, Marinette was still nervous talking about her feelings and avoided him the rest of the day. When he found her the next day, he quickly responded the same sentences that still shattered Marinette’s heart. He was in love with another girl.</p><p>Marinette finally decided to allow others into her complicated heart. She tried a relationship with Luka for part of the year. While the boy was sweet and always thought of her especially when she felt she couldn’t be herself, the feelings she had for Adrien would never dim away to allow her accept Luka completely. They ended their relationship at the end of summer, but who knows maybe the relationship could began again. After all, they did end it on a good note.</p><p>Marinette thought Adrien was in love with Kagami especially when she saw them out together quite often during the summer. However, that thought was pushed away. While Adrien did enjoy the relationship he had developed with Kagami, there was still someone else that had his entire heart. It hurt for Marinette to know that there was someone else, someone besides Kagami or herself that Adrien loved. She wished she knew, but with the friendship she had, she was taking what she could receive.</p><p>Class was as normal as every other day. The teacher did give an extension on the essay which Marinette was quite happy about. When she pulled out her notebook, she noticed that the essay was all complete. With the study hour she had coming next, she was going to take this time to disappear in the library and try to finish it.</p><p>Marinette’s thoughts were interrupted as she walked into the small library. Adrien was sitting at one of the small tables with Kagami by his side. Both looked pretty occupied as they wrote quickly within their open notebooks. Marinette sighed deeply as she walked around the outer rim of the room taking a far desk.</p><p>“Marinette, are you okay?” asked Tikki from within the small handbag.</p><p>Marinette smiled softly, “Ya, I’m fine. Just a lot on my mind.”</p><p>“You always had a good heart, but even at times the heart can feel like it is failing you. Don’t let your negative thoughts bother you too much. There is plenty to give and return.”</p><p>“Thanks, Tikki.”</p><p>Marinette stayed in the library during the study hour working on most of her essay. Occasionally, she would glance up to see Adrien and Kagami still talking and laughing at each other, but she took Tikki’s advice and tried to not allow it to bother her too much. When the bell rang for study hour to be over, she packed her bag and walked out of the room to her next class.</p><p>The rest of the school day was the same. She stayed to herself or spoke small conversations with Alya. The advice that Tikki weighed heavy on her mind. Was she wrong to keep hoping that maybe Adrien would notice her more than a friend? Was she wrong to end her relationship with Luka so quickly? The heart was a fickle thing. Maybe it was time to move on and allow for a new change.</p><p>“Wanna come join me and Nino at my place? We are planning to watch a movie and eat some popcorn,” asked Alya as both her and Marinette walked out of the school building and begin their descent upon the stairs.</p><p>“Not tonight. I still need to finish the essay. Maybe another time,” replied Marinette as she took the last two steps with a jump and started walking away, waving back to her friend.</p><p>“Alright, girl. Have a good evening.”</p><p>Marinette held her head down as she walked the path back to the bakery. She had no intention of working on the essay at the moment. Instead, she was waiting for evening when patrol would start. Here, she would be able to transform into her alter-ego, Ladybug, and spring across the rooftops letting her emotions to slide for the time being.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong> *************** </strong>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Disclaimer: I don't own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug &amp; Chat Noir or any of the characters within the series. The plot, however, is mine.</p><p> </p><p>A/N: Since I first watched the series with my daughter, I was right away attached. I have other series that I am dedicated to and I promise to finish them too. I just wanted to write this especially with everything that I have seen. Let me know what you think and if I should continue.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug &amp; Cat Noir or any of the character. I do, however, own this plot.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>On a Razor’s Edge<br/></strong>
  <strong>Chapter 2</strong>
</p>
<p>Three weeks have gone by since Tikki told Marinette that small advice. While, the thought of letting go of Adrien hurt beyond thought, she remembered small things in the past that reminded her why she was wanting to let go. Every day that she went to class and saw him, it was getting easier for her to open her heart to the possibility of someone else.</p>
<p>While Luka was there for her always saying sweet things, and coming up with different chords to cheer her up, there was another person that was starting to fill her heart: a certain heroic black feline by the name of Chat Noir.</p>
<p>That first week after the advice from Tikki, she was outside on her balcony thinking about everything regarding her and Adrien when Chat Noir decided to drop by. At first, the conversations started simple. He would ask how she was doing, why she was upset, and other topics regarding herself. He seemed to always be there when she felt down or at least needed another friend outside of school.</p>
<p>It was evening once more when Chat Noir dropped by. Marinette was working on a new essay assignment, luckily no new akuma has interrupted her this time allowing her to complete quite a bit of it.</p>
<p>“Good evening, princess?” spoke the black cat as he hopped down from the rail.</p>
<p>“Evening Chat,” replied Marinette, never looking up from the book she was looking at. This book contained quite a bit of information for her essay and she wasn’t going to stop for a second to make eye contact with the mysterious feline.</p>
<p>Chat walked over and started leaning on his baton. “Are you going to seriously sit there and work on homework all night?”</p>
<p>Marinette shrugged which in returned caused Chat to laugh. “I really need to work on this assignment. Something always happens that causes me not to finish any of my homework.”</p>
<p>“Oh. Will my princess allow me to lounge around then?”</p>
<p>“Go ahead, silly kitty,” waved the young woman as she picked up her notebook.</p>
<p>Chat Noir started laughing once more as he stretched out upon the small rug that was upon the floor. His green feline eyes never left the young woman as she wrote down words within her notebook as she glanced from it to the book that sat beside her.</p>
<p>After about ten or so minutes of absolute silence except for the small scribbling sounds caused by her pencil, Chat Noir started to notice something about the young woman. She was leaning against her bent knees, her arms dangling over them with the pencil in one hand.</p>
<p>“You seem to have something on your mind,” spoke the black cat from his lounging spot.</p>
<p>“A friend gave me some advice a few weeks ago. I keep thinking about taking it, but at the same time, it is hard.” Marinette sighed as she leaned her head against her raised knees.</p>
<p>Chat stood and walked over to the young woman before taking a seat beside her. “What advice did she tell you?” His voice had none of his fun in it. Instead, he seemed serious almost concerned for the young woman.</p>
<p>“I have a big heart and sometimes that heart can only give so much without receiving anything from the other side.”</p>
<p>Chat raised an eyebrow as he thought about the advice. “That’s pretty cryptic,” he replied.</p>
<p>Marinette shook her head. She pushed from the ground and walked over to the rail. “Not really. For a long time, I had feelings for a certain classmate of mine. I know he said that he is in love with someone else. I just kept hoping it would be me eventually.”</p>
<p>“What changed?” asked Chat. He watched as the woman leaned over her arms as she glanced at the darken sky. Her body language was so different from before when she was working hard on her assignment. Something was bothering her. <em>Talk to me, Marinette.</em></p>
<p>“I don’t know. Everything. I even tried dating Luka, hoping that would heal my heart. He really isn’t someone that I really talk to like you, Chat.”</p>
<p>Chat smiled softly as he stood and walked over to the rail. “I am here if you need me, princess, but maybe your friend was right. Branching out isn’t a wrong thing to do. Maybe there is someone else who can heal your heart completely.”</p>
<p>“Thanks, Chat,” smiled Marinette as she leaned her head upon his bent arm.</p>
<p>A smile was upon the black feline as he placed a chaste kiss upon her forward, “You’re welcome, my sweet princess.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <strong>*******</strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Marinette walked into class the next morning expecting to have the same reaction she had every day she saw Adrien Agreste walk into class. Not today, though. Chat’s advice along with Tikki’s helped her make the decision she needed. While Adrien might not be the person for her, there was surely someone else who would have her heart completely.</p>
<p>“You seem to be in a better mood,” said Alya as she took a seat beside her best friend.</p>
<p>Marinette shrugged as she pulled out her books. “Had a few things on my mind these past few days, but after thinking about it all, I have decided it was best not to dwell.”</p>
<p>“Are you thinking about doing what I think you are planning to do?”</p>
<p>Marinette sighed as she shook her head. “No. Adrien will never see me as something more. I am going to just take the friendship I have with him and move on.”</p>
<p>Alya sat back, her eyes wide with shock. “Wow.” She watched as her friend looked over her notes while said blonde model walked into the classroom. She didn’t even raise her head to wave towards him when he said hi.</p>
<p>“Did I do something,” asked Adrien as he took a seat beside Nino. He glanced from Alya to Marinette confused why the blueish-black hair woman was ignoring him.</p>
<p>Alya shook her head as she sat back and crossed her arms. Adrien just shrugged before he turned around.</p>
<p>“I hope whatever you decide on or whoever you decide to allow you in your heart doesn’t change the person I know you to be,” said Alya softly to her friend.</p>
<p>Marinette turned towards her friend, leaning on her arm that was resting on the table. “Alya, nothing is going to change. If anything, it might work out for the best.”</p>
<p>“I hope so.”<br/><br/><br/></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>Enjoy and please, leave a review!</em>
</p>
<p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug &amp; Cat Noir or any of the characters, just this plot.<br/>A/N: Thanks for the reviews, and don’t worry, the title isn’t that scary. :P</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Time can be a blessing for people especially if someone is needing to allow a heart to heal or even allow it to open to a different possibility. Alya has never seen her best friend so cheerful, so calm around all her friends including Adrien Agreste, but it has seemed that whatever advice she receive over a month ago was helping Marinette. Alya wasn’t going to do anything to change it either.</p><p>However, that change didn’t seem to be quite clear with a certain blonde model. He was still confused as if it was something he did.</p><p>Adrien walked into class and took a seat at his new location: second row on the left this time. Marinette was still in her same place. He tried multiple times to try and talk with her, but she always had some excuse. He felt as if she was trying to avoid him.</p><p>“You need to let her go, dude,” said Nino as he took a seat beside the model. “Wasn’t it last year that you received that letter from her?”</p><p>Adrien sighed as he took a seat. Last school year, he recalled every detail. He was getting ready to leave for fencing when the letter fell out of his books. He quickly picked it up and read it only to find out that the letter was Marinate declaring her love for him. He tried the next day to locate the said girl, but either she was busy in class or just completely avoiding him. After a few tries, Adrien finally caught her and explain that while he was shocked and pleased that she had such deep feelings for him, he was sadly unable to reciprocate those feelings. He was in love with another.</p><p>“You’re right, but still I have this strange feeling that it wasn’t because of the letter that changed her.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>******</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>People were screaming and running in different directions. This victim took the shape of a strange and powerful horse. Ladybug and Chat Noir had no idea what caused this person to be akumatized, but they both knew that it wasn’t an easy one to stop.</p><p>Three times Ladybug had to disappear and allow her transformation to fall off because her Lucky Charm had failed her. This time, her Lucky Charm gave her a huge key. While at first, she wasn’t sure what was going on, but as they were flying over the Siene River, Ladybug was finally able to figure out the solution.</p><p>“Any idea, Bugaboo?” asked Chat Noir as he leaned against his baton and watched as the white butterfly flew away.</p><p>Ladybug rolled her eyes at the black cat, but responded anyways, “It was a horse shoe. The girl was in love with her horse, but her parents didn’t think that was a healthy idea and decided to sell the animal. Instead of trying to convince her parents, she decided to come here and throw away the very horse shoe that was first placed on the horse.”</p><p>“Tragic.”</p><p>Ladybug nodded. “Ya, but at least her parents saw what they were doing to the young girl. Anyways, bug out.” With that, Ladybug threw her yo-yo and disappeared into the night.</p><p>Chat smiled as he watched the young woman disappear. Glancing out over the bridge with the many locks, his smile grew as he thought about a young woman he started to visit almost nightly. Would she be interested in seeing her favorite kitty? He thought it would be worse a shot especially since he was in the area.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>*******</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>Marinette sighed as she sat down on her small couch. She had another essay to finish and wasn’t in the mood to start on it. Things have been going rather well for her since she took the advice to heart. Letting go of the feelings she was harboring allowed her to open to the different possibilities. Right now, her mind was partially focused on keeping her grades so that she had a chance at a major fashion scholarship, but she was also thinking about letting go and taking a risk.</p><p>Knock. Knock.</p><p>Marinette looked up at her skylight. A big smile graced her face as she saw Chat Noir waving down at her. Waving her hand for him to come in, she watched as the black feline carefully crawled through and took a seat in front of her.</p><p>“Out saving the town once more, kitty?” asked the young woman as she crossed her legs and leaned upon her hand.</p><p>Chat nodded as he stretched out upon the floor. “Just a normal night being your favorite alley cat. However, this victim had a tragic story. I don’t remember many victims having tragic stories, though.”</p><p>“Tragic? I thought you told me about the bride being left at the alter just last week.”</p><p>Chat looked up as if he was thinking before chuckling, a hand raising to rest behind his head. “Ya, I guess that was tragic. So, what are you up to, princess?”</p><p>Marinette shrugged, “Nothing, really. I have another essay due by next week, but I am just not in the mood to start it.”</p><p>“Better not delay, princess. You don’t want to be caught in a mouse trap and make it late.”</p><p>Marinette laughed at his feline comment. “Don’t worry, my precious kitty. I will be sure to get it done.”</p><p>“So, remember how you said you were going to take a chance? Have you decided to do it?” Chat was laying upon his stomach; his head resting up his hands.</p><p>“Chance?” Marinette thought about what Chat was asking before her eyes went wide, a dust of pink danced across her cheeks. “I’ve thought about it, and there is someone I would like to take a chance with.</p><p>Chat sat up quickly, a huge grin plastered across his face. “Who? Someone at your school? Someone completely new?” He threw the questions out quickly, excited to learn who Marinette might want date.</p><p>Marinette threw her head back and started laughing. “No, silly alley cat. This person is someone I trust and have been seeing already.”</p><p>Chat coughed and glanced down at the young woman as she moved to sit sideways, bringing her legs to her chest. “Are you talking about me? Are you serious, princess?”</p><p>“Why does that surprise you, kitty?”</p><p>Chat tried to hide the smile along with the flush of color across his face. “Oh, trust me, princess. I am purrfectly fine with it. More than fine.” Chat reached for Marinette’s hand and pulled her towards him. Wrapping his arm around the young woman, he traced a claw finger down her face. “I was just hoping that maybe all my small hints were giving some idea.”</p><p>“I didn’t need any of your hints, silly kitty. I was already lost.”</p><p>Chat smiled before dropping his mouth upon hers. She sighed against his lips as a rush of emotions began to flow into her. True, Marinette might never know who the man was behind the mask, but she was taking the advice that was given to her over a month ago. She was going to live on the edge and take a risk with this certain feline who wiggled his way into her heart.</p><p>He kissed her tenderly, brushing his lips over hers as he traced his clawed hands down the side of her face. He felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff, and in one moment he could either soar or fall. As Adrien, he wasn’t sure what caused Marinette to change so much. Sure, he was seeing a different side of her each time he came to visit as Chat Noir, but he thought that would eventually end. He didn’t expect to be taking this risk with a woman that captured him before he even knew it.</p><p>When air became an issue, Chat Noir and Marinette broke apart only to lean their foreheads against each other, their breathing deep.</p><p>“I should let you sleep, my princess.” Chat’s voice was rough as he took a step backwards.</p><p>Marinette could only nod as she watched her special feline climb out of the skylight and disappear into the night. A huge smile was on her face as she climbed into bed and turned the small lamp off.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>